If you’re celebrating Christmas or Hannukah, you have less than a week to prepare.
We suspect there are many people who haven’t finished their gift shopping yet, and some who haven’t even started. So, to help in this season of giving, let us offer some suggestions to those who may find themselves running short on time.
For some tardy shoppers, the answers are probably close at hand. The Pioneer Valley has much to offer for those seeking just the right gift. Be it locally crafted food, beer or wine, a handcrafted item like a knitted shawl, a piece of art, even furniture made locally or an item from somewhere else, there’s a store, craftsperson, artist or business nearby that can fill the bill.
Finding time for others can be a simple but valued gift: volunteering at a school, a nursing home or a community event, like one of the many local free meals for the hungry. The valley has many organizations or groups that could use a helping hand.
A gift might be a cash donation in the name of the person you’re planning to surprise. From animal shelters to nonprofit agencies that advocate for a specific cause or provide a service to a segment of the community in need, all could use a little extra financial help. This includes The Recorder’s own Warm the Children effort to provide winter clothing for young people.
Even if you’re not necessarily a “joiner,” there are ways to give your time. In the simplest way, it can mean reaching out to a friend or neighbor to ask if he or she needs something at the grocery store or a walk shoveled. Or it could just be a willingness to listen.
As Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
Let the words of Thomas S. Monson be a guide. The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints said, “Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.”
While Monson is speaking about Christmas, his words transcend personal religious beliefs and can apply to any holiday you might be observing this season.
Time may be short, but there is much that we can give.